President of an NGO
Amina Msefer, mother of a blind
girl suffering from a mental disability, made of the fight against Mental Disability her raison d‘être. Her first struggle, as she tried to enroll her
child, was to ensure that all children with disabilities have access to school
and receive appropriate education. When, at the age of seven, her daughter joined
the medical-educational center Amal, Amina Msefer then got involved in the
association of parents
of students of the institute. But very soon, parents faced a new struggle: "As soon as they turn major
of age, children are obliged to leave the special education centers without any
other training structure wanting to welcome them in order to allow them to
build their professional and social life. This is an ordeal for all’, explains Amina
Msefer. Revolted
by the situation, she founded with parents in 1997, the Association of Parents
and Friends of Mentally Disabled People, called “Hadaf”. The goal is to create an enabling environment
for the personal development but also for the professional development of these young people with
disabilities. In
response to the lack of support structures for
adults, “Hadaf” created a socio-professional integration center. Through the learning of an occupation, of community
life and of activities involving families, young people give a meaning to their
lives. Today, the
center welcomes young people who learn cooking, sewing, gardening, carpentry and
many other trades. Their
creations, worthy of the work of excellent craftsmen, make everybody proud.